Quote:I appreciate what you say here. I need a life saver, not a wall hanger as I'm old and small and vulnerable. If confronted by a knife carrying intruder, I need to show I can handle it and it needs to be obviously sharp.

OK, I'm going to take the pretty obvious troll bait. Corsair, I personally think you are yanking everyone's chain. You do not sound at all like who you are proclaiming yourself to be. However, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and will assume that you are being honest. What you are proposing is an assinine solution to your problem. Sharpening a cheap sword is not going to save you from anything or anybody. If you are truly worried for your safety, then I suggest you get a medium sized to large sized dog. It's easier to learn how to train a dog than it is to learn how to use a sharp sword without losing body parts. It will protect you from intruders a LOT better than you can protect yourself.

I disagree that you can't discern a mogitou from a shinken. Fake / purposely dull blades have a thick edge. Yes a dull sword can still kill someone. But a 2mm wide dull edge is pretty noticeable especially if light hits the blade right.

A real cutting blade that's been dulled on purpose looks like a live blade, but it won't cut nearly as well as one.

For the purposes you are wanting to use a sword for, I would really recommend you get some form of training in swords. I'm not going to preach to you about this, but I will tell you, when you're facing off with someone that has a knife or screwdriver, you'd better know what you're doing. Swords are not magical and in some ways knives are better than swords. Swords are big and long, and if you don't know how to use it properly, your opponent may get the better of you.

Also remember that blades are dangerous in all directions. If you drop it, move your whole body out of the way, do not try to catch it.

In addition to all of the other good reasons you've been given, I'll point out something a little more tactical in nature. Swords are a poor choice indoors. Walls, ceilings, furniture, etc all get in the way. You need space to swing a sword. They aren't meant for enclosed spaces. I'd rather pickup a kitchen knife.

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The problems are multiple, Paradox. The first, as Charles and I said, is manuverability. With a gun you only have to worry about what is behind the person you are shooting at. However, with a sword, you have to worry about everything in the vicinity. Second, unlike a gun or dog, a sword doesn't make any noise to speak of. If you cock a shotgun or pistol, the burglar will know you mean business and will probably surrender, and if a large dog growls or barks, they start running. If you draw a sword, they have no idea unless they are looking at you.

Third, and most important. Lawsuits. It is currently fashionable to commit crimes because you are downtrodden. This is the only explanation I can come up with to explain huge settlements given to injured intruders and burglars. Several officers that I have spoken to have said that you are better off aiming to kill an intruder than to shoot their arms/legs (even if your aim is good enough that you could disable them). You gain a vengeful man who suddenly has a whole lot of time on his hands and free access to an attourney. The same holds for cutting an intruder's arm off with a sword.

In both of these cases, it will be far better to defend yourself with an everyday item, such as a baseball bat or chef knife than with a sword. If you use a sword, the prosecution will attempt to paint you as a bloodthirsty maniac just itching to draw blood. Also, you will enlist less "just like me" empathy from the jury than if you are an average Joe defending his home with a baseball bat or his hunting rifle.

Well I'll just have to cite difference of opinion.. If you have a sword and train in swords, you should be ready to use your sword if you need to use it. Otherwise it's just glorified chambara.

IMO if your home's being invaded, the laws be damned, better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6. If you weren't in enough danger to defend yourself with lethal force, you shouldn't have used a sword in the first place.

Not all swords are unsuitable for indoor use. There are a number of short swords like wakizashi, ninpo swords (long tsuka short blade), etc.. that are fine for indoor usage. I use a full size katana for indoor practice in my home.. not suitable near doorways but fine everywhere else even from a swing from daijoudan.

Well i live in australia and our law says that you may only use equal force against an attack, that means if he comes into your house for a few bucks and he is unarmed, then you slice his head off with a sharpened katana, you go in the slammer for murder. Ok? look mate the obvious solution here is for a baseball bat or something, If that doesnt comfort you maybe a large knife in your drawer. But a machete/katana is nothing short of ridiculous. GIGGITY GIGGITY GIGGITY!

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"They say the only way to kill a lion is with a rear naked choke, but I'd just kick it in the head"